Purley Oaks Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Nonetheless, the system is very simply, vote for those you believe will best serve the country in whatever policies they may introduce; whether mentioned in a manifesto, or subsequently introduced. It's a very crude and messy process, but to date all the evidence suggests the least worst one available for national governance. Picking very carefully here, but it depends whether you mean national as in UK, or national as in the individual countries that make up the UK. Either way will be interesting; we still don't know whether another election for the NI assembly will be held at the same time or whether Westminster will take control. Scotland will be interesting, too, one way or the other. There could be some other surprises, so may not be a shoe-in. But we all know why it's being called - the elephant in the room. Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 I am not a Conservative voter but I think that Mrs May has done the right thing on this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Three hours and NOT locked yet! Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classsix T Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 We've not finished printing the ballot papers for County Council election yet (held on Star Wars day), and she sprung this on us. What with referendums and the like, as a press shop, they're keeping us in work. Folks have mentioned a suspension of the election bill. Does this mean there will still be another General Election in 2020 or is that now deferred to 2022? C6T. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I am not a Conservative voter but I think that Mrs May has done the right thing on this. Likewise, but she's on a safe bet, there's no sensible opposition - that's as far as I go on politics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Radford Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Bored with it already. Bargain Hunt cancelled and then all of the 1 O'Clock news covering it. At least West Midlands news lead with Harry Redknapp's appointment! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 So, last Thursday afternoon, Phil the Spread knocks on the internal door to No 10, with the Excel spreadsheet showing that the UK will be bankrupt by 2020. May reckons to win in 2017 and by 2022 Len McClusky will be the actual rather than the notional leader of the Labour party. I suppose the only glimmer is Momentum will not have the time to deselect all the Labour MPs who has ever said a word against the blessed Jeremy. Ok, I'll go into purdah for the next seven weeks. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyA Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Pity the people living in Manchester Gorton where the by-election is still scheduled for 4th May. This could prove to be a better indicator of the General Election result than opinion polls. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2017 Bored with it already. Bargain Hunt cancelled and then all of the 1 O'Clock news covering it. At least West Midlands news lead with Harry Redknapp's appointment! Blimey, he's not running for office, surely - would Rosie be his Chancellor, given how well she managed his finances? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Pity the people living in Manchester Gorton where the by-election is still scheduled for 4th May. This could prove to be a better indicator of the General Election result than opinion polls. Tony I was wondering if this would be some kind of record for the shortest-serving MP but according to Wiki there were six that died within a month of being elected. If the winner in May is defeated in June it looks as if they would become the shortest-serving MP for reasons other than death in office. Not sure if there's any way of un-moving the by-election writ and just putting it to the vote with all the others instead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 Perhaps worth remembering that ⅔ of MPs have to vote for the proposal, so an abstention is the same as voting against. A difficult one for those MPs who might lose their seats—vote for an election or not? For Labour MPs there is at least the consolation that the election will be fought on the old boundaries — generally thought to favour Labour — while a 2020 election would have been fought on the new boundaries (yet to be finalised). I'd agree that in the circumstances — new PM, different political landscape — an election is probably good for the country. It's just that we're now going to have 7 weeks of campaigning! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 Likewise, but she's on a safe bet, there's no sensible opposition - that's as far as I go on politics. I did not mean tactically. Politics has got a bit unpredictable for that and I would be risking being in breach of Forum rules. But I do think it sensible to avoid having an election in 2020 when we could just be in the closing stages of sorting out Brexit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 Bored with it already. Bargain Hunt cancelled and then all of the 1 O'Clock news covering it. At least West Midlands news lead with Harry Redknapp's appointment! Anything that gets rid of the incredibly silly Bargain Hunt is good news to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 I was wondering if this would be some kind of record for the shortest-serving MP but according to Wiki there were six that died within a month of being elected. If the winner in May is defeated in June it looks as if they would become the shortest-serving MP for reasons other than death in office. Not sure if there's any way of un-moving the by-election writ and just putting it to the vote with all the others instead. If Parliament is shut down for the General Election before 5 May (as I would expect), the by-election does not take place IIRC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I thought Politics per se was banned by Forum Rules anyway, regardless of if/when insults start getting flung around..?? Yes, but this seems to be an era of glasnost for the Forum..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapford34102 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Well my waste paper recycling statistics will sure improve over the next 8 weeks ;-) Stu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2017 I am debating with myself whether to insult a number of political parties to get this shut down to save us all from having to read it for the next seven weeks! Very surprised it has lasted this long. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 They must have their hands full over at Private Eye magazine. So many things to satirise! Business has never been better! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I did not mean tactically. Neither did I, just that not one of them is worth my vote. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 The first political insult posted will get the topic locked. So any other type of insult still allowed then. Yay! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2017 I stand to be corrected but I think that the Australian system makes everybody vote but does give the voter the option of voting for none of the candidates if you don't trust anything they are saying. Yes, if you are registered to vote, you are expected to do so, i.e. compulsory. There are some exceptions, sickness, past a certain age etc. However, as the ballot is secret, you could leave the ballot paper blank if you believe no one is worthy - it is of course impossible to track down those that do leave it blank or otherwise incorrectly vote. Some smart alec's tried to suggest ways of not voting in that format (too long to go into here, but Google will answer that), but the High Court squashed that ideological BS. Many people find it strange that voting is compulsory, but it actually works quite well and has been in effect for a long time. http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/Compulsory_Voting.htm It is also a preferential system, where for the House of Representatives, you must vote for them 1 to whatever number of candidates. Senate (Upper House) is a lot more complex. I can't find actual stats, but voter turnout is around 90% on average. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 30801 Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2017 They must have their hands full over at Private Eye magazine. So many things to satirise! Business has never been better! No it must be terrible to work at Private Eye at a time when the politicians are much better at satire than you are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2017 You have to turn up at the polling station and get your name crossed off the list. What you do with your ballot paper is up to you - you can spoil it, eat it, etc. if you want. Alternatively you pay the fine or provide a good reason for not attending. You can't eat it, as its expected to be returned to the Ballot Box, for counting purposes. But yes, once you have had your name crossed off the list and taken the ballot paper(s). Later you return it/them. No one has any idea if you have left it blank, drawn funny pictures or whatever. Eating it, just makes it hard for the people working at the Polling Station, who don't get a big enough payment, to waste time recounting piles of paper & filling out forms, to account for discrepancies, because some loser thought it was funny. The politicians, don't get disadvantaged, so missing the intended target. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spannerman Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I expect one party, probably the Lib Dems to run on 2nd referendum/ditch brexit platform, along with the SNP in Scotland which could give a suprising colour to the outcome. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 ....a time when the politicians are much better at satire than you are. ...they just don't know it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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